Recovery from Gastric Bypass Surgery

Recovery from Gastric Bypass Surgery

After a gastric bypass surgery, the patient normally stays in the hospital for a good 5 to 6 days. The physician will only approve discharge from the hospital if the patient can already move easily and without discomfort, can already eat liquid or pureed food without vomiting or nausea, and when the patient does not anymore require injection of pain medication.

The liquid or soft food diet lasts for several weeks after the surgery, sometimes-about six to eight weeks. Even when the person is already on regular diet, the feeling of fullness is quickly attained just with a few bites of solid food.

This is due to the limited capacity of the new stomach. The reduced stomach, right after the surgery, can only hold up to 2 teaspoons of food. After some time, the stomach expands and will be able to hold up to a maximum of one cup of thoroughly chewed food.

Solid foods and fluids may not be handled by the new stomach at the same time. Thus, they should be taken separately, allowing at least 30 minutes interval each time. When drinking fluids, the person may only sip them to allow for slow entry to the new stomach.

Solid foods also need to be eaten slowly and thoroughly chewed. Ideally, for those who have undergone surgery, one meal should last for about 30 minutes, taking each bite slowly to be digested by the new stomach. Eating small meals about 6 times a day is also recommended, rather than having large meals that the stomach will not be able to accommodate.

Physicians will also recommend adding multivitamins and supplements to the patient's diet after the surgery. Taking in only a small amount of food will probably mean insufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals being absorbed by the body as well. Thus, addition of iron, calcium, and vitamin B12 supplements and other multivitamins to the diet is necessary.

After the surgery, there is indeed a drastic change in one's diet. Foods high in fat and sugar should be reduced, if cannot be avoided. Taking in deep-fried foods, candies, cakes and other sweets may cause vomiting and nausea.

A person who had undergone gastric bypass surgery can normally gain back his normal strength in about six to eight weeks after the surgery. Upon the doctor's advice, one can take short walks comfortably even just a few weeks after the surgery. This helps in faster recovery of the person.

Regular exercise is also recommended once the person recovers his normal strength. This increases metabolism, which aids in faster weight loss. Following the strict diet and having regular exercise also help maintain the desired weight.

Joining support groups with people who have also undergone the same surgery will be helpful to improve the person's self-esteem and to always stay motivated. Losing weight is a long-term plan and having supportive people around will definitely make the journey a lot easier and more enjoyable.